Trench isolation structure having isolating trench elements

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an element isolating trench structure that includes an element isolating trench formed in one main surface of the semiconductor substrate, an insulating material that is formed within the element isolating trench, element formation regions that are surrounded by the element isolating trench, and semiconductor elements that are respectively formed in the element formation regions. The element isolating trench includes first element isolating trenches extending in a first direction, second element isolating trenches extending in a second direction that are at a right angle to the first direction, and third element isolating trenches extending in a third direction inclined at an angle θ (0°&lt;θ&lt;90°) from the first direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of application Ser. No.13/910,144 filed on Jun. 5, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,029,980, whichclaims priority under 35 USC 119 to Japanese Patent Application No.2012-134999 filed on Jun. 14, 2012, the disclosures of which areincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method ofmanufacturing the same, and more particularly, relates to asemiconductor device including an element isolating trench structure anda method of manufacturing the same.

2. Related Art

Various semiconductor devices including element isolating trenchstructures are proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open(JP-A) Nos. 2009-164609, 2003-303830 and 2001-199191).

The present inventors have found that there is the following problem asa result of intensively investigating the semiconductor devicesincluding such element isolating trench structures. That is, when suchan element isolating trench structure is arranged to be oftwo-dimensionally high density, it has been found that there is aproblem in that a crack is generated at the outermost circumferenceportion of the trench structure which is high densely arranged.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided asemiconductor device including:

a semiconductor substrate;

an element isolating trench structure that includes an element isolatingtrench formed in one main surface of the semiconductor substrate;

an insulating material that is formed within the element isolatingtrench;

element formation regions that are surrounded by the element isolatingtrench; and

semiconductor elements that are respectively formed in the elementformation regions,

wherein the element isolating trench includes first element isolatingtrenches extending in a first direction, second element isolatingtrenches extending in a second direction that are at a right angle tothe first direction, and third element isolating trenches extending in athird direction inclined at an angle θ (0°<θ<90°) from the firstdirection.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda semiconductor device including:

a semiconductor substrate;

an element isolating trench that is formed in one main surface of thesemiconductor substrate;

an insulating material that is formed within the element isolatingtrench;

an element formation region that is surrounded by the element isolatingtrench; and

a semiconductor element that is formed in the element formation region,

wherein a gap is formed in the insulating material within the elementisolating trench.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including:

forming an element isolating trench in one main surface of asemiconductor substrate;

forming an insulating material, having a gap, within the elementisolating trench; and

thereafter forming a semiconductor element in an element formationregion surrounded by the element isolating trench.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described indetail based on the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining a semiconductor deviceaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic partially enlarged view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic partially enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.2;

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view for explaining a modified example of thesemiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view for explaining a semiconductor devicefor comparison;

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view for explaining a problem of thesemiconductor device for comparison;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view for explaining a semiconductor deviceaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line DD of FIG.8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a bipolartransistor which is preferably formed in an element formation region, inthe semiconductor device according to the first and second embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining a MOStransistor which is preferably formed in the element formation region,in the semiconductor device according to the first and second embodimentof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Embodiment)

Referring to FIG. 1, in a semiconductor device 1 according to first andsecond preferred embodiments of the present invention, element isolatingtrench structures 20 for an I/O element are respectively provided atfour sides of the peripheral portion of a semiconductor chip 10, and anelement isolating trench structure 30 is provided in the central portionthereof. In the element isolating trench structure 20, a regionsurrounded by an element isolating trench 22 serves as an elementformation region 26 for an I/O element. An element isolating trench 24located between the element formation regions 26 adjacent to each otheris shared by the element formation regions 26 adjacent to each other.The element isolating trench structure 20 is used for an I/O element,and thus the element formation region 26 is larger than the elementformation region of the element isolating trench structure 30 located inthe central portion.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an element formation region 38 of theelement isolating trench structure 30 located in the central portion issmaller than the element formation region 26 of the element isolatingtrench structure 20 for an I/O element, and the element formationregions 38 disposed collectively are densely packed. In the elementisolating trench structure 30, an element isolating trench structure 32and an element isolating trench structure 34 are alternately disposed.

Referring to FIG. 2, an element isolating trench 36 of the elementisolating trench structure 32 includes element isolating trenches 361and 362 extending in a Y direction, and an element isolating trench 363extending in an X direction. Meanwhile, the X direction and the Ydirection are at a right angle to each other. A region surrounded by theelement isolating trenches 361 and 362 and the element isolatingtrenches 363 and 363 serves as the element formation region 38. Theelement isolating trench 363 located between the element formationregions 38 adjacent to each other is shared by the element formationregions 38 adjacent to each other. In the element isolating trenchstructure 32, the element formation regions 38 are arranged parallel ina line in the Y direction.

An element isolating trench 36 of an element isolating trench structure34 includes element isolating trenches 361 and 362 extending in a Ydirection, an element isolating trench 365 inclined at an angle θcounterclockwise from a X direction, and an element isolating trench 366inclined at an angle θ clockwise (angle −θ counterclockwise) from the Xdirection. A region surrounded by the element isolating trenches 361 and362 and the element isolating trenches 365 and 366 serves as an elementformation region 40. The element isolating trench 365 or the elementisolating trench 366 located between the element formation regions 40adjacent to each other is shared by the element formation regions 40adjacent to each other. In the element isolating trench structure 34,the element formation regions 40 are arranged parallel in a line in theY direction. In addition, an element formation region 38 of an elementisolating trench structure 32 and the element formation region 40 of theelement isolating trench structure 34 share the element isolating trench361 or the element isolating trench 362 located between the elementformation region 38 and the element formation region 40.

Referring to FIG. 4, the element isolating trench 36 is formed in onemain surface 101 of a silicon substrate 100. The one main surface 101 ofthe silicon substrate 100 and the side face and the bottom face of theelement isolating trench 36 are covered with a silicon oxide film 110formed by thermal oxidation or the like. A silicon oxide film 120embedded by a CVD method or the like is formed within the elementisolating trench 36 covered with the silicon oxide film 110. After thesilicon oxide film 120 is formed on the entirety of the surface by a CVDmethod or the like, the silicon oxide film 120 on the one main surface101 of the silicon substrate 100 is removed by performing aplanarization process. The dimensions of the element isolating trench 36have, for example, a depth of equal to or more than 10 μm, a width ofapproximately 1 μm, and a distance between this element isolating trench36 and the adjacent one of equal to or more than 2 μm. The dimensionsare applicable to the element isolating trenches 361, 362, 363, 365, and366. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line BB ofFIG. 2, but the cross section taken along line CC of FIG. 2 alsoincludes a similar structure. Meanwhile, such a deep trench is used notonly for a purpose of element isolation, but also for a purpose of densedisposition below a pad to reduce the capacity between the pad and thesubstrate.

In such a structure, the silicon oxide film 120 is contracted by heattreatment such as annealing, and thus the silicon substrate 100 receivesstress 210 from the silicon oxide film 120. Referring to FIG. 3, in theelement isolating trench structure 32, stresses 211 and 212 in the Xdirection are applied to the element formation region 38 by the elementisolating trenches 361 and 362 extending in the Y direction, and stress213 in the Y direction is applied thereto by the element isolatingtrench 363 extending in the X direction. In the element isolating trenchstructure 34, the stresses 211 and 212 in the X direction are applied tothe element formation region 40 by the element isolating trenches 361and 362 extending in the Y direction, stress 215 in a direction inclinedat an angle θ clockwise from the X direction is applied thereto by theelement isolating trench 365 inclined at an angle θ counterclockwisefrom the X direction, and stress 216 in a direction inclined at an angleθ counterclockwise from the X direction is applied thereto by theelement isolating trench 366 inclined at an angle θ clockwise from the Xdirection. Therefore, the stresses 211 and 212 in the X direction causedby the element isolating trenches 361 and 362 and the stress 213 in theY direction caused by the element isolating trench 363 may be disperseddue to the stress 215 caused by the element isolating trench 365 and thestress 216 caused by the element isolating trench 366, and a crack maybe prevented from being generated in the silicon substrate due to theconcentration of the stresses.

The angle θ may be in a range of 0°<θ<90°, but is preferably 45°. Whenthe angle is 45°, stress may be uniformly dispersed in both the Xdirection and the Y direction. In addition, the inclinations of theelement isolating trench 365 and the element isolating trench 366 arepreferably set to be in opposite directions with respect to the Xdirection (or with respect to the Y direction). This is because thestresses may be dispersed in opposite directions to each other.

Meanwhile, the angle θ may not be unified as mentioned above. Asillustrated in FIG. 5, the inclination of an element isolating trench367 may change sequentially, the trench 367 being provided between theelement isolating trench 361 and the element isolating trench 362 of theelement isolating trench structure 34 which extend in the Y direction,and being inclined from the X direction (or Y direction). In the elementisolating trench structure 34 illustrated in FIG. 5, the inclination ofthe element isolating trench 367, as going from the lower side of thepaper toward the upper side, sequentially decreases from the inclinationat approximately 45° counterclockwise from the X direction and becomesparallel to the X direction. Thereafter, the element isolating trench367 is inclined at approximately 45° clockwise from the X direction, andthen the inclination thereof sequentially decreases and becomes parallelto the X direction.

In addition, an element isolating trench structure in which elementisolating trenches inclined from the X direction (or Y direction) aredispersedly arranged within the element isolating trench structureincluding the element isolating trenches extending in the Y directionand the element isolating trenches extending in the X direction may beused, instead of an element isolating trench structure 30 in which theelement isolating trench structure 32 including the element isolatingtrenches extending in the Y direction and the element isolating trenchesextending in the X direction and the element isolating trench structure34 including the element isolating trenches extending in the Y directionand the element isolating trenches inclined from the X direction (or Ydirection) are alternately disposed as in the present embodiment. Inthis case, in the element isolating trenches inclined from the Xdirection (or Y direction), the trench inclined at an angle θ of 45°counterclockwise from the X direction and the trench inclined at anangle θ of 45° clockwise from the X direction may be dispersedlyarranged. In addition, stress may be dispersed as a whole, and theinclination angles of the element isolating trenches inclined from the Xdirection (or Y direction) may not be unified.

As in the element formation region 40, a semiconductor element may bedisposed in the element formation region in which a portion of theelement isolating trench is constituted by the element isolating trenchinclined at an angle θ (0°<θ<90°) from the X direction. The corner ofthe element formation region, however, is rounded, and therefore, whenthe element formation region is small, it is difficult to dispose thesemiconductor element. In the present embodiment, the semiconductorelement is disposed in the element formation region 38, and is notdisposed in the element formation region 40.

Unlike the present embodiment, in an element isolating trench structure50 as illustrated in FIG. 6, the element isolating trench structure 32and an element isolating trench structure 33 are alternately disposed.The element isolating trench structure 32 is the same as the elementisolating trench structure 32 according to the first embodiment. Theelement isolating trench 36 of the element isolating trench structure 33includes the element isolating trenches 361 and 362 extending in the Ydirection and an element isolating trench 368 extending in the Xdirection. A region surrounded by the element isolating trenches 361 and362 and the element isolating trenches 368 and 368 serves as an elementformation region 39. The element isolating trench 368 located betweenthe element formation regions 39 adjacent to each other is shared by theelement formation regions 39 adjacent to each other. In the elementisolating trench structure 33, the element formation regions 39 arearranged parallel in a line in the Y direction. The element formationregion 38 of the element isolating trench structure 32 and the elementformation region 39 of the element isolating trench structure 33 sharethe element isolating trench 361 or the element isolating trench 362located between the element formation region 38 and the elementformation region 39. The element isolating trench 363 of the elementisolating trench structure 32 and the element isolating trench 368 ofthe element isolating trench structure 33 are alternately disposed inthe Y direction. The element isolating trench 363 and the elementisolating trench 361 or the element isolating trench 362 intersect eachother in a T-shape, and the element isolating trench 368 and the elementisolating trench 361 or the element isolating trench 362 intersect eachother in a T-shape. With such a structure having a T-shapedintersection, the embeddability of the element isolating trench in theintersection portion is better than that in a cross-shaped intersectionportion.

In the element isolating trench structure 50, when a structure is usedin which the silicon oxide film 120 embedded by a CVD method or the likeis formed in the element isolating trench 36 as illustrated in FIG. 4,the silicon oxide film 120 is contracted by heat treatment such asannealing, and thus the silicon substrate 100 receives the stress 210from the silicon oxide film 120. Stress in the X direction is applied bythe element isolating trenches 361 and 362 extending in the Y direction,and stress in the Y direction is applied by the element isolatingtrenches 363 and 368 extending in the X direction. The influence of thisstress becomes larger as the trenches are densely packed. For thisreason, as illustrated in FIG. 7, in the element isolating trenchstructure 50 densely packed with the element isolating trenches 36,stress 220 reaches a peak at the outermost circumference of the elementisolating trench structure 50, and thus a crack 400 is generated at theoutermost circumference of the element isolating trench structure 50 inthe X direction and the Y direction.

Next, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device 1 according tothe present embodiment will be described. Referring to FIG. 4, theelement isolating trench 36 is first formed in one main surface 101 ofthe silicon substrate 100. Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 110 isformed by thermal oxidation or the like, on the one main surface 101 ofthe silicon substrate 100 and the side face and the bottom face of theelement isolating trench 36. Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 120 isformed on the entirety of the surface by a CVD method or the like.Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 120 on the one main surface 101 ofthe silicon substrate 100 is removed by performing a planarizationprocess to form a structure in which the silicon oxide film 120 isembedded in the element isolating trench 36 covered with the siliconoxide film 110. Thereafter, a bipolar transistor, a MOS transistor orthe like is formed in the element formation region 38.

(Second Embodiment)

The planar structure of the element isolating trench structure 50according to the present embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8 is the same asthat in FIG. 6, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.Referring to FIG. 9, the element isolating trench 36 (361, 362) isformed in one main surface 101 of the silicon substrate 100. The onemain surface 101 of the silicon substrate 100 and the side face and thebottom face of the element isolating trench 36 are covered with thesilicon oxide film 110 formed by thermal oxidation or the like. Asilicon oxide film 122 embedded by a CVD method or the like is formedwithin the element isolating trench 36 covered with the silicon oxidefilm 110. When the silicon oxide film 122 is formed under the conditionsin which the silicon oxide film 120 is embedded in the element isolatingtrench 36 covered with the silicon oxide film 110 according to the firstembodiment, the width of the element isolating trench 36 (361, 362)according to the present embodiment is set to such a width that a gap124 opened with a width of approximately 0.1 μm is formed in the siliconoxide film 122. Meanwhile, FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional viewtaken along line DD of FIG. 8, but the cross section taken along line EEof FIG. 8 also includes a similar structure.

Since the silicon oxide film 122 includes the gap 124, the silicon oxidefilm is contracted in the direction of an arrow 230 by heat treatmentsuch as annealing, without applying stress to the silicon substrate 100.Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 8, even when the element isolatingtrench structure 50 densely packed with the element isolating trenches36 is used, stress resulting from the contraction of the silicon oxidefilm 122 during heat treatment such as annealing is minimized, and thusa crack may be prevented from being generated. Meanwhile, the gap 124 isembedded with polycrystalline silicon, or an opening of the gap 124 isblocked up, for example, at the time of the formation of gatepolycrystalline silicon before a wiring process, in other words, afterstress relaxation, and thus there is no influence at the time of theformation of wiring due to a step difference based on the gap 124. Thatis, the element isolating trench 36 is embedded with different materialssuch as polycrystalline silicon and the silicon oxide film.

Next, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to thepresent embodiment will be described. Referring to FIG. 9, the elementisolating trench 36 is first formed in one main surface 101 of thesilicon substrate 100. Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 110 is formedby thermal oxidation or the like, in the one main surface 101 of thesilicon substrate 100 and the side face and the bottom face of theelement isolating trench 36. Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 120 isformed on the entirety of the surface by a CVD method or the like.Thereafter, the silicon oxide film 120 on the one main surface 101 ofthe silicon substrate 100 is removed by performing a planarizationprocess to form a structure in which the silicon oxide film 120 isembedded in the element isolating trench 36 covered with the siliconoxide film 110. At this time, the element isolating trench 36 has alarger width than that of the element isolating trench 36 according tothe first embodiment, and the gap 124 is formed in the silicon oxidefilm 122 within the element isolating trench 36. Thereafter, a bipolartransistor, a MOS transistor or the like is formed in the elementformation region 38. Taking an example of a case where a MOS transistoris formed, at the time of the formation of gate polycrystalline silicon,the gap 124 is embedded with polycrystalline silicon, or an opening ofthe gap 124 is blocked up by polycrystalline silicon.

In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, a bipolartransistor or a MOS transistor is formed in the element formationregions 38 and 39. Though a description is made by taking an example ofthe element formation region 38, the same is true of the elementformation region 39.

Referring to FIG. 10, a P⁻ layer 131 is formed on an N⁻ substrate 130.An element isolating trench 363 is formed from the surface of the P⁻layer 131 up to the middle of the N⁻ substrate 130. A channel stopper158 is formed in the N⁻ substrate 130 below the element isolating trench363. A region surrounded by the element isolating trenches 363 and 363and the element isolating trenches 361 and 362 (see FIGS. 2 and 8)serves as the element formation region 38. An N⁻ layer 132 is formed inthe surface of the P⁻ layer 131. A P⁻ layer 133 is formed in the P⁻layer 131 separately from the N⁻ layer 132. A Locos oxide film 137 isformed on the surface of the P⁻ layer 131. Openings 141, 142, and 144are formed in the Locos oxide film 137. A P⁺ layer 134 is formed on theN⁻ layer 132 exposed to the opening 141. An N⁺ layer 135 is formed onthe N⁻ layer 132 exposed to the opening 142. A P⁺ layer 136 is formed onthe P⁻ layer 133 exposed to the opening 144. The P⁺ layer 134 functionsas an emitter. The N⁻ layer 132 and the N⁺ layer 135 function as a base.The P⁻ layer 133 and the P⁺ layer 136 function as a collector. Aninterlayer dielectric film 150 is formed on the Locos oxide film 137,the P⁺ layer 134, the N⁺ layer 135 and the P⁺ layer 136. Contacts 151,152, and 153 which are respectively connected to the P⁺ layer 134, theN⁺ layer 135 and the P⁺ layer 136 are formed in through holes providedin the interlayer dielectric film 150. Metal wirings 154, 155, and 156which are respectively connected to the contacts 151, 152, and 153 areformed on the interlayer dielectric film 150.

Referring to FIG. 11, an N⁻ layer 161 is formed on a P⁻ substrate 160.An element isolating trench 363 is formed from the surface of the N⁻layer 161 up to the middle of the P⁻ substrate 160. A channel stopper159 is formed in the P⁻ substrate 160 below the element isolating trench363. A region surrounded by the element isolating trenches 363 and 363and the element isolating trenches 361 and 362 (see FIGS. 2 and 8)serves as the element formation region 38. P⁻ layers 162 and 163 areformed in the surface of the N⁻ layer 161 separately from each other. AP layer 163 is formed in the P⁻ layer 162. A P layer 165 is formed in aP⁻ layer 164. A Locos oxide film 168 is formed on the surface of the N⁻layer 161. Openings 171, 172, and 173 are formed in the Locos oxide film168. A gate oxide film 167 is formed on the N⁻ layer 161 exposed to theopening 171. A P⁺ layer 174 is formed on the P layer 163 exposed to theopening 172. A P⁺ layer 175 is formed on the P layer 165 exposed to theopening 173. The P⁻ layer 162, the P layer 163 and the P⁺ layer 174function as a source. The P⁻ layer 164, the P layer 165 and the P⁺ layer175 function as a drain. A polycrystalline silicon layer 176 for a gateelectrode is formed on the gate oxide film 167, a WSi 177 is formed onthe polycrystalline silicon layer 176, and a sidewall 178 is formed onthe side faces of the polycrystalline silicon layer 176 and the WSi 177.

As stated above, a variety of typical embodiments of the presentinvention have been described, but the present invention is not limitedto these embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the present invention isintended to be limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device comprising: asemiconductor substrate; an element isolating trench structure thatincludes an element isolating trench formed in one main surface of thesemiconductor substrate; element formation regions; and semiconductorelements that are formed in the element formation regions, wherein aboundary between a first element formation region from among the elementformation regions and the element isolating trench is separated by (A) afirst side extending in a first direction from a first point, (B) asecond side extending in a second direction from the first point to asecond point, the second direction being inclined at an angle θ(0°<θ<90°) from the first direction, and (C) a third side extending inthe first direction from the second point, wherein the first elementformation region is disposed between the first side and the third side,and wherein a boundary between a second element formation region fromamong the element formation regions and the element isolating trench isseparated by (D) a fourth side facing the second side across the elementisolating trench and extending in the second direction, and (E) a fifthside being disposed on a line passing through an end point of the fourthside and extending in the first direction.
 2. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 1, further comprising a third element formationregion from among the element formation regions, wherein a boundarybetween the third element formation region and the element isolatingtrench is separated by (F) a sixth side facing the first side across theelement isolating trench and extending in the first direction, and (G) aseventh side extending in a third direction that is at a right angle tothe first direction and comes away from the first element formationregion.
 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein thesecond point is disposed at a portion corresponding to a point betweenthe first point, and an intersection of the sixth side and the seventhside, in the first direction.
 4. The semiconductor device according toclaim 1, further comprising an eighth side being disposed on a linepassing through the first point and extending in the first directionfrom another end point of the fourth side, wherein the second elementformation region is disposed between the fifth side and the eighth side.